Our Mission

Why Veterans Need Our Help & How We're Making A Difference

A George Washington quote that really resonates on this issue is this: “the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” A striking statement such as this should be met with action, but it seems little has been done for our veterans, even in recent years.

For any man or woman who has served in a military and at war for more than a decade, reintegrating into civilian life can be challenging to say the least. This begs the question: Are we doing enough to ease the transition for those who have served and sacrificed so much for our freedoms? While there have been a few initiatives that have improved this transition a little bit, the scale has hardly moved. There is so much more that we should be doing.

There are many needs that veterans have, aside from the obvious, being housing and job opportunities. Cultural needs are just as important. These include:

Camaraderie

Social network

Veteran peer connections

Volunteer opportunities

Life counseling

Mental health

The transition from active duty to civilian status is not just a simple career change, it’s a change in responsibilities, jobs, homes, communities, lifestyle, health care, training and so much more.

It is important to note that since 2009, there have been a few improvements to veterans’ affairs, including help with medical costs, reducing veterans’ homelessness by one-third and extending disability benefits to 800,000 veterans with any conditions that are related to post-traumatic stress disorder, Agent Orange, and Gulf War Syndrome.

However, with all of this improvement, many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans still aren’t receiving enough aide. We know this because suicide rates in post-9/11 veterans, which comprise the 18-34 age group, have more than doubled from 2006-2016.

We constantly hear people saying that they support veterans, but actions speak louder than words, and we need to actually go forth and make a difference by doing something.

If you would like to show gratitude for the sacrifices made and support veterans, there are many ways to make it happen. Our Undersea Warriors scuba diving program is just one way to help. Scuba diving, or “underwater therapy” as it’s called by many, has been shown to make great improvements in the overall well-being and mental state of veterans. We’re doing our part to use this incredible sport to help heal those who have been of service to our country.

Our Program

Undersea Warriors uses a 3-step program to introduce and guide Veterans through recreational/adaptive and marine conservation diving in a gradual and controlled manner to give them the opportunity to experience the sense of peace that comes from Scuba activities along with a sense of purpose - marine conservation.

Our mission is to not only provide the veterans the training to participate in an activity with proven health benefits but to give them a sense of purpose as well by participating in marine conservation efforts. This program provides the Veteran an opportunity to socialize with fellow veterans and scuba divers while impacting the environment. The conservation divers remove plastic and other waste from rivers, lakes and the ocean. Additionally, they will have opportunities to dive in aquariums and interact with fish, dolphins and turtles while cleaning the tanks.

APPLY for our Training Program here: https://underseawarriors.org/apply-now/undersea-warriors-application.html

Your gifts, both large and small, will help us to achieve our mission of helping those affected by our cause. Thank you in advance for your generous support that allows us to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people and their families each year.

DONATE to our cause here: https://underseawarriors.org/how-to-help/donate.html